Reunited
by His Lil' Half-Blood Princess
Summary: Severus Snape is visiting his new office as Hogwarts' Headmaster. While there, he meets someone he never thought he'd ever see again. One-shot. SSAD father/son.


_**A/N: I just LOVE writing one-shots. They're just so great! I need to do this more often, really, writing chapter stories can get awfully lame. This, for the record, is 5/20 summer one-shots.**_

_**So here's an idea I had a few weeks ago: Snape thinks he's never, ever, EVER going to see the great Albus Dumbledore again. Oh, Severus, all the things you don't know . . . **_

_**Disclaimer: I, the great His Lil' Half-Blood Princess, do not own Harry Potter. It belongs to the awesome Warner Bros. Pictures and the majesticly great and awesome J. K. Rowling. I just borrow them and mess with them. :)**_

_**This one-shot is dedicated to my big sister, Teeny, who totally encourages everything I do, even though she hates Harry Potter. :( **_

"Well, Severus, the school year is nearing yet again." said Voldemort, slowly pacing around his servant, who stood near him. "Does is not feel awkward not to be packing your bags up for another year teaching those dreadful brats?"

"I cannot deny that it does not feel unusual, my Lord. But it is, indeed, a relief."

Voldemort nodded. "It must be. Being Dumbledore's pet for fourteen years until I rose again. Did you miss me, Severus?"

"I did long for your company, my Lord," said Snape. Voldemort smiled.

"Though, you did not know it, you were in my company for nearly a year once. I could see your misery, Severus. Having to listen to _Dumbledore _all those years. Not only did he make you teach, but teach something you had no desire teaching, though I must say, potions is one of your many strengths." Voldemort ceased pacing. "I cannot believe I doubted you."

"You had every right to doubt me, my Lord," said Snape quietly. "I was under Dumbledore's wing for quite a long time. You did not know if he had seduced me or not."

"True, true," he said, resuming his pacing. "It must've been a moment of triumph when you killed him."

"It was . . . relieving, my Lord," said Snape, feeling a bit uncertain.

"You did great, Severus. You rid Hogwarts of its Headmaster," said Voldemort. "Putting the school into my grasp. Letting me do whatever I please with it. It seems we are in need of three new staff members this year. We must choose wisely. I believe the Carrows would do nicely for Muggle Studies and Defense Against the Dark Arts . . . pardon me, I mean, the Dark Arts. Why teach the children to defend themselves when they do not need it? Training in defense is needed at war and we are no longer at war, Severus."

Severus couldn't help being confused. "But my Lord, is it not the Head's job to choose the staff?"

Voldemort stopped again."Severus, Severus, Severus, do not be so naïve! Is it not the Minister's job to make new decrees and laws? Who is the Minister? Not me, no, but who is making the laws? I am!" Voldemort smiled. "I have the Ministry in the palm of my hand which means I have the adult community in my grasp. I have Hogwarts at the tip of my fingers which means I have the youth and adolescent communities in my control. Why do you think Mudbloods are no longer allowed to attend Hogwarts? I made that a new rule!" Voldemort laughed a cruel laugh. "Besides, Minerva McGonagall is not the Head of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry! She would just live out Dumbledore's legacy! No, she will remain the Deputy Headmistress and the Head of Gryffindor and the Transfiguration teacher as was."

Snape was terribly confused. "But my Lord, the who is the Head?"

"You, of course, Severus. Who else would I choose?"

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Snape and Voldemort stood outside the Headmaster's office. "Very well, Severus, is everything clear?"

"Yes, my Lord," he said, avoiding his master's scarlet gaze.

"You do understand that though you are Head, you must consult me before you make a disicion?"

"Yes, my Lord, I understand."

"Very well, then, I'll leave you be to get settled." Voldemort turned around and walked down the tower, out of view. When he heard the tower door open and close, Severus gave a sigh of relief. He was finally away from the Dark Lord! Being in his company for nearly three months was stressful. He turned to the gargoyle.

"What will your password be, Headmaster?" asked the gargoyle. Snape gulped. _Headmaster . . . _He didn't deserve this. Not one bit.

"I don't know . . ." _What would be something the Dark Lord would approve of? _"Er . . . Slytherin."

"Very well. Remember that. You can change it anytime you please." The gargoyle moved away, letting Snape through. The young man walked up the twisted staircase. When he got to the door, he felt as though he should knock. It was force of habit, knocking on this door. The only times he would come up here would be to see Dumbledore. But this wasn't Dumbledore's office anymore. It was his. He pushed the door opened and looked around the room.

It was just the way Dumbledore's room had been before. Bright, beautiful, filled with contraptions of all kinds, candy on the table, the fire blazing, the doors connected to the bathroom and the bedroom, the desk covered in paperwork, except that it was for him and it was in piles. Many piles. Besides the papers, the room seemed seemingly untouched. He would change as little as possible.

What fascinated him most were the thousands of books in the hundreds of shelves covering the walls. All those binders of information and treasure that he had always longed to just open and divulge. But he hadn't been able to. They were Dumbledore's books, not his own. He knew very well that every book he had, Dumbledore had and Dumbledore's were in much better condition. He didn't miss a single one of his old books (except his copy of _Advanced Potion Making, _but it was with Potter.). Dumbledore had so many more than he had. Probably every book in the library! He looked at the small shelf by Dumbledore's desk he had never been allowed to go near. It usually had a black cloth over it. Dumbledore had told him once that those books were about Dark Magic. But the cloth was gone and the shelf was empty. He wondered why. Shrugging it off, he looked around the room again.

Another new thing was that Fawkes the Phoenix was gone. Had he flown away when his master was killed? Murdered? Had he flown when he felt the murderer was approaching? The room felt a bit odd without the beautiful red bird there. It felt even odder without Dumbledore.

The only other new thing he could find was the name tag on the desk. It no longer read _Albus Dumbledore: Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. _It had changed to _Severus Snape: Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. _

Snape smirked. A title that meant nothing to him. A title he didn't deserve.

Why, why, why was Dumbledore dead? Why did he have to be gone when Severus needed him most?

Snape looked around. He ought to go unpack his things. But . . . His eyes wondered to the shelf once again. He scanned them all wanting to find the book he was looking for. When his eye caught it, he walked over to the shelf and stared at it. _Hogwarts, a History. _It was a book he always liked. A book about the place he called home. But . . . did he dare to pick up one of those books? One of Dumbledore's books? It felt too awkward . . .

"Go on, Severus. They're your books now. No restrictions whatsoever."

Snape whisked around to the grand portrait right behind Dumbledore's desk. It had been empty just a few seconds ago, like all the others. But now, it was occupied. "Headmaster?" he whispered.

"Hello, Severus," he said happily. "I'm extremely glad to see you again. I was beginning to wonder if Lord Voldemort was going to choose another follower to be the Headmaster. Thank goodness I was wrong."

"But . . . you . . . what . . . you knew this was . . . I was going . . . to . . see you again?"

"I suspected it," said Dumbledore. He was sitting in a chair in his portrait. He looked Snape up and down. "You've changed. You look thinner. More tired. Are you sure you're fine?"

"Me?" Snape said, still overwhelmed in shock. "I'm fine . . . you're the one who's dead!"

"Being dead means I'm at peace in a world that is painless," said Dumbledore. "Dying is quite an experience. I've seen many people I haven't seen in years. Quite a reunion."

"Really?" said Severus, extremely interested. he sat down in the chair he would often sit in when he was having meetings with Dumbledore. He wasn't ready to sit in "the chair" yet. "Like who?"

Dumbledore smiled. "Well, my mother, my father, my sister, some friends, some other Order members, Sirius, James, Lily, you know, the dead people."

"Wow," said Snape. "That's . . . amazing . . ."

"Indeed," said Dumbledore. "Sit in the Headmaster's chair, Severus. After all, that's what you are now. The Headmaster."

"Me." said Snape, more to himself, looking down. "The Headmaster. Crazy . . ." He looked at Dumbledore. "I don't want to. Not yet." He looked around at the empty portrait frames. "Are they usually out?"

"They come in and out. Some can be quite nosey. Never have a personal conversation with anybody while Phineas Nigellus is in the room . . ."

"I heard that, Dumbledore!"

Phineas Nigellus had appeared in his portrait. He smiled at Snape. "Well, well, well, look at that. The youngest Heamdatser in a long time. And a Slytherin!" Phineas laughed. "Another Slytherin, finally taking the position as Headmaster. It's quite an honor, boy, quite an honor . . ."

"Er . . . thank you, sir . . " he said, uncertainly.

"Don't call me, sir, Heamdaster, you're the one in charge!"

"Oh, yes, right, well, I-"

"Oh, I have to tell _everyone _you've arrived!" And he left.

"Does he even care that I murdered you?" asked Snape.

Dumbledore chuckled. "I doubt it."

Snape looked down. "It was hard. You know, after I murdered you . . ."

"I know. I was watching you."

Snape's eyes shot right back up at Dumbledore again. "You were? How?"

Dumbledore pointed up. "Up there. I watched you. I saw how lonely and miserbale you were. I saw how you would sometimes just cry your eyes out at night, feeling terrified that you would have to murder again."

"I was weak. I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize, my dear boy, you have nothing to be sorry for," said Dumbledore. "I saw the good things too. How well you acted in front of him, with pride and joy, as though you were never more honored in your life. You were happy you killed me. You faced your worst nightmares. You watched a fellow couleage be murdered right before your very eyes. You watched her corpse be eaten by a snake. You heard her cry out your name before he death. You were so strong, Severus. I'm so proud of you. I'm so sorry you have to go through all this." There was a pause. "As hard as it seems to believe, one day, your peace will come. Whether it comes after the war or whether it comes through death, your evasion of peace will not last too much longer. Be strong, Severus, and wait. This pain will end soon. It was my promise to you when you joined the Light. I will not go back on that promise."

Snape sighed. "I hope you're right, Headmaster. I hope you're right." Snape paused. "I can't believe I got to see you again."

"I'm glad your happy."

"Will I see you often?"

"I'll always be here in the castle. I won't leave you to suffer on your own again, Severus. These past months have been harsh on you, but I promise I won't leave you to bleed again. I promise. And if it looks like I'm gone, remember, Severus, I'm always with you. Always."

_**A/N: Hope the ending line didn't seem too stalkerish. If you've got a sec, review. It's appreciated deeply! Thanks for reading (or just scrolling down to the end of the page!)!**_


End file.
